Puppy Vet Care

It’s so exciting welcoming a new puppy into your family, and we can’t wait to share in that, and help you navigate the first few weeks with your new addition. Our vet and nurse team can advise you on all you need to know about.

Vaccinations

Your puppy’s vaccination course, followed by regular annual boosters, can help protect against some highly infectious (and potentially fatal) diseases, including Canine Distemper, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis and Parvovirus. At Coomara we boost Leptospirosis every year, and all the other diseases every 3rd year in line with our vaccine’s data sheet recommendations. Your puppy can have their first vaccination from 6 weeks of age, and their second vaccine 4 weeks later. You can start taking your puppy out for their first walks a week after their second injection. A separate vaccine is available against Kennel Cough. This lasts for a year, and is usually required for any dogs going to stay in boarding kennels. As a potentially serious and highly infectious respiratory disease complex (like ‘flu or COVID in people), we would generally advise giving this vaccine to any dogs frequently in contact with other dogs.

Worming and flea control

Some puppies are born infected with roundworms, via their Mother’s milk. Worm burdens can make your puppy very ill and they can also be passed to humans, where serious infestations can cause blindness in children. We recommend worming your puppy every 2 weeks for the first 12 weeks, and then once a month until 6 months of age; following this we can assess your pet’s lifestyle to tailor make the best ongoing worm control plan.

Fleas can be a problem all year round. We strongly advise that prevention is better than cure. The flea life cycle is complicated, so infestations can be difficult to get on top of quickly. Fleas have a nasty bite, live and feed on your puppy. Fleas will also bite humans. Severe infestations can cause anaemia, but generally flea bites can cause itching, skin irritation and a poor coat. It is important to keep up to date with regular flea treatments for your pet; it may also be necessary to use a household spray. The frequency of treatment will depend on the product used.

Neutering

Unless you are planning to breed from your puppy in the future we recommend that you have your pet neutered. The benefits include: the prevention of unplanned, unwanted and costly offspring; the reduction of the risk of certain types of cancer and other disease; and the reduction of aggression, straying, spraying and antisocial behaviour. We are careful with young males that seem to be nervous, and may suggest a chemical castration or implant to check that neutering is appropriate for them. The timing of neutering will depend on your pet and their breed, but females should be spayed midway between seasons (3 months after a season). Speak to our vets or nurses for more information about the potential benefits and any other considerations for your pet.

Nutrition

Feeding your puppy the right food is one of the most important things you can do for them. A good quality, complete puppy food will help your puppy develop strong bones, muscles, immune system and brain function. Ensure you feed a complete puppy food appropriate for their breed and size. Large and giant breeds need particular attention to their nutrition, and should always be fed a diet specific for their size. These diets are designed to aid joint development and bone growth, controlling the rate at which they grow. If you have a large or giant breed puppy speak to your nurse to discuss their individual requirements.

Dental care

Dental disease is common in dogs. We recommend brushing your puppy’s teeth as soon as possible using a soft bristle toothbrush and doggy toothpaste. This is the best preventative measure against bad breath, tartar and subsequent tooth decay and gum disease.

Microchips

It is a legal requirement that all dogs are microchipped and the owner details kept up to date. This should have been done by your breeder by 8 weeks of age. You will need to ensure that the breeder has arranged for the contact details recorded for that chip on the national database have been changed to you. This chip, which sits below the skin between the shoulder blades, will stay with your dog for life, and it is your legal obligation to ensure you keep the contact details up to date e.g. if you should move house.

Socialisation

The first 14 weeks of your puppy’s life are crucial for gaining their confidence around new people, animals and environments. It can be useful to have a checklist to work through, of common sites and sounds. Puppies that have not received adequate socialisation can struggle with behavioural issues throughout their life, even so far as showing nervous aggression when faced with uncomfortable situations. Our team are on hand to discuss more about this, lead by our lead nurse, and dog behaviour diploma holder, Alicia Martin RVN.

And common pitfalls that can trip you up, as your new pup explores the world around them… from set-backs in toilet training, to household hazards and potential poisons.

Our puppy vaccination courses start at £55.00 for a full course of core vaccine; call us at the clinic for more information.

For ongoing care into adulthood, consider graduating onto our Coomara Care preventative healthcare plan.

Our nurses offer juvenile dogs a complimentary check up around the age of 6 months old.  This is a great opportunity to monitor their progress, discuss any “teething problems” and talk more about their next steps, e.g. neutering.

We'd love to hear from you, give us a call or send an email, we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

For urgent enquiries, please call.